Switching Schools
by Meum Cerebrum Nocet
Summary: When infamous all-American girl Sakura and typical Japanese teenager Tenten switch schools for a month, what kind of trouble can they get into when they don't have parents looking over their shoulders? Nejiten. Sasusaku. Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: The Letter Arrives

**--Switching Schools--**

A/N – This story is about two girls (Tenten and Sakura) who switch schools for a month. Sakura, who is from America switches with Tenten who lives in Japan. What happens in these two totally different atmospheres that changes the girls forever? Read on to see.

Summary: Sakura is your all American girl. She lives in L.A. Her mom is a famous movie star and her dad is a really bug director. Ok so maybe she isn't an average American girl. Tenten lives in Tokyo, Japan, in a small two bedroom apartment, with her mother. What happens when the two girls switch schools? Nejiten, Sasusaku

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**--Chapter 1--**

**--The Letters Arrive--**

Tenten was sitting at home. Across the table were her two best friends, Yamanaka Ino and Nara Shikamaru. They were having their daily study session. "So are you two excited about winter break? I'm so looking forward to it. My mom said she might be willing to take the three of us skiing. Wouldn't that be awesome!?" Ino exclaimed as she finished her last math question.

"Really?! That would be awesome! I'm pretty sure I could come. How about you Shika-kun?" Tenten questioned.

"I'm sure I could go," he said half heartily. The door slammed open and in walked a slightly rounder boy. "Hey Choji."

"Am I too late for the study session?" Tenten shook her head and Choji pulled up a chair. They finished off their homework and went to watch some TV. At around 6:30 Tenten's mom came home.

"Hey guys! Tenten-chan, you have some mail." Tenten's mom leaned over the couch and handed the mail. Tenten flipped through the bills and pieces of mail for her mother. Finally she found her letter. She opened it and read it out loud.

_Dear Tenten,_

Your principal has informed us that you are the best student in your grade. We would like you to participate in an exchange program. You would spend about three months in Las Angeles, California. A student form Malibu Central Private School will come to your school and live in your house and you will do the same there.

_If you are anyway interested please send us a letter via your principal. Please respond before December 14 of this year. A letter containing more information will be mailed to should you choose to accept. _

_From The Board of Exchange Learning_

"That sounds so interesting. You should so go. If you don't then I totally am!" Ino squealed.

"Ok guys. It's time for you to be heading home. See you tomorrow." Tenten's mom said. Once everyone had left the two women sat down at the table. "So are you going to do it? It would be a good experience." Tenten's mom asked.

"I'd like to but that would mean being away from everyone for three months," Tenten answered.

--

"I have four movie premiers and a huge party that my mom's agent's sister's boyfriend's mom's hairdresser is having. It's so cool," Sakura exclaimed.

"Hey Saki, aren't I your mom's agent's sister's boyfriend's mom's hairdresser's daughter. You could have just said 'That Shell's having!" a red head exclaimed. There were four girls and five guys all crowded around the fountain.

"It sounds better the other way!"

"So are we all coming over for the pool party, Saki?"

"CHA!"

--

"Saki, you are the richest person in our school, and that's saying a lot considering who goes to our school!" a blonde girl exclaimed.

"Jess, Shell! You are the greatest friends ever but you're going to have get out of the pool and let other people swim in it." The three girls burst out laughing.

Greg, Sakura's butler came out and tapped her on the shoulder. "Mrs. Haruno, you have a letter." He handed her the mail. She opened it and read it aloud to her friends.

_Dear Sakura,_

Your principal has informed us that you are the best student in your grade. We would like you to participate in an exchange program. You would spend about three months Tokyo, Japan. A student form Konoha High will come to your school and live in your house and you will do the same there.

_If you are anyway interested please send us a letter via your principal. Please respond before December 14 of this year. A letter containing more information will be mailed to should you choose to accept. _

_From The Board of Exchange Learning_

"That is so cool. Like I bet there are a lot of cute Asians in Japan!" Shelly, the red head, exclaimed.

"Cha! You should so go, Saki!" Jessica, the blonde, added.

"What do you think Hinata? I mean you've been to Japan before. What's it like?" Sakura asked the quiet girl sitting on one of the floating chairs.

"It's really crowded and there are a lot of very tall buildings. That's just the city though. The countryside is beautiful. There are a few cute guys too," she said.

"I'm so going!" Sakura exclaimed. The party lasted another hour and then everyone went home, except Hinata. Hinata was Sakura's tutor. Sakura did well in school but she didn't like studying so her mother got her a tutor to help. The two girls sat and study.

--

Tenten and Ino walked down the crowded streets. "So are you going or not?" Ino asked her best friend.

"I'm so going! I'm going to miss you though."

"Yah, I'm going to miss you too." They walked into the schoolyard and went to their classes. School was boring and factual. The girls couldn't wait to get back to Tenten's house.

Once they were home Ino helped Tenten pack. After that they did their study thing and watched TV until Tenten's mom came home.

--

December 21st came and Tenten was ready. She didn't get to go skiing with Ino, Shikamaru and Choji but she wasn't to upset about that. Her three friends were at the airport to show her off. She got onto the plane and found her seat.

The exchange program was paying for everything so she got to ride in first class. She was just getting comfortable when a boy about her age came by. "That's my seat," he stated.

"Sorry. I guess I'm in the seat next to you," Tenten apologized. She got up and was willing to change seats but the boy said that she should stay where she was. She sat back down and turned to face him. "Ohayoo, I'm Tenten." She said cheerfully.

"I'm Neji. What are you doing going to California? You obviously don't live there. You have perfect Japanese."

"I'm part of this exchange program thing. I'm switching with some girl named Sakura."

"Ah! That would make sense."

--

"I'm going to be fine mom! It's just a plane ride. I've been on millions. I know where to meet my new family when I get off the plane and I know my schedule. The only thing I'm a little iffy on is my Japanese. I'm not sure I've mastered it yet." Sakura turned and headed towards the security gates. She passed through and went to the waiting room.

"Welcome to L.A.X. All those headed to Tokyo; your plane is now boarding. We'll start with rows 29 – 20."

"Great I'm going to be waiting for forever," Sakura grumbled.

"I find it better to wait out here than in the plane," a male's voice said from behind her. He walked around and Sakura was met with onyx eyes and raven hair.

"Are you going to Japan?"

"Yeah. I've missed too much school and my study partner stopped sending me the homework. Last time I trust Tenten to do anything."

"Did you say Tenten? That's the girl I'm switching with for this exchange program thing. I'm Sakura by the way."

"I'm Sasuke."

"19 – 10!"

"So you go to Konoha High? You wouldn't mind helping me. I'm not the best at Japanese."

"Sure."

"9 – 1!"

"I better get going. Hey where are you sitting?"

"3 b, the window seat."

"I'm 3 A! You wanna trade? I'm more of a window gal."

"Sure."

--

A/N - So what did you think? Oh and in the last part, the random numbers being yelled in between Sakura and Sasuke's conversation are seat numbers. Please Review :)


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to America

**--Switching Schools--**

A/N – Holly cow! Over four months since I last updated this. I didn't mean to take so long, I just sorta lost interest. I lost my ideas and I couldn't think of any new ones. I was really close to just taking this off but people kept reviewing so I didn't. I've got a few more ideas and not a lot of homework, seeing as it is only the first week, so I know my updates will be quicker than this one.

Disclaimer: Last time I checked I didn't own Naruto, but things might have changed (looks at name of owner of Naruto) nope still don't :(

**--Chapter 2--**

**--Welcome to America!--**

When people asked her how her flight went she would say, "I have no complaints. It was long, as expected, and quite, which was helpful."

Neji didn't say anything more as the plane flew towards L.A. Tenten didn't mind this though. She had some homework to finish and started a book Ino had recommended. She also caught bits and pieces of the in-flight movie, which didn't interest her.

After many hours the plane landed in LAX and the passengers disembarked. As Tenten stepped off the plane she felt lost. She looked up at the signs and tried to remember the English they had been thought in school. She was able to understand parts of the sign and was then able to make her way towards the baggage carrousel.

As she pushed her way through the crowd standing around waiting for their bags, she began to feel homesick. _Maybe staying home would have been better than this trip, _she thought as the baggage began to be unloaded onto the moving ring.

Her green suitcase was almost the last one to be unloaded. She grabbed it by the handle and hoisted it onto her buggy. She then turned around and looked for any signs of the people she would be staying with.

As her eyes drifted through the thinning crowd, they landed on a stout man. He had thinning red hair and was holding a sign that read 'Tenten Futeki.' She walked over to the man and said hello.

"Tenten Futeki, I presume," the man said in a strange accent. It took Tenten a while to realize who he was talking to. Then, in the best English she could she responded.

"I am Futeki Tenten. I am part of an exchange program. Are you with the Harunos?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly foreign to her. The man leaned closer to her and whispered something to her.

"I can speak Japanese if you would prefer that," he said, his funny accent leaving his voice. His Japanese was impeccable.

"You're Japanese is amazing!" The two continued their conversation as they walked out the doors of the airport and through the crowds waiting for either a bus or a taxi. They walked for another minute or so and stopped in front of a white limo.

"Your ride Miss. Futeki," he said as he opened the door and motioned for her to enter into the limo. Tenten slowly and apprehensively got in. It was amazing inside. There were comfortable leather seats and a mini fridge placed between some of them.

She opened the fridge and saw, to her delight, some Lipton raspberry iced tea. She opened the lid and slowly sipped some of its contents. It was refreshing and a rare treat as her mother said that silly 'fancy' drinks weren't worth the money.

The car lurched forward and drove out of the airport. Tenten leaned over and looked out the window as the cars drove past them. She knocked lightly on the window separating her and the driver. The glass rolled down and the driver stared at Tenten through the rear-view mirror.

"People drive really fast here don't they?" she asked. The driver just nodded his head.

"They are fearless here(1)," he chuckled at that and so did Tenten. She leaned back in her seat and the glass was raised once again. Tenten turned to look out the window and saw they were turning onto a smaller side ramp.

As they drove farther from the highway, trees sprang up from all sides. _Wow, this place is beautiful. I can't believe it. It's like the Yamanaka's cabin up on Mount Fuji, except these are more tropical trees._

Finally they turned onto a slopping road and began to climb the hill. It felt as though they had reached the top of the hill before the car stopped. The driver got out and then opened the door, allowing Tenten to get out.

The sun reached her eyes and she blinked a few times before she was able to see clearly. Standing before her was a blonde woman with a clipboard in her hand. She ran up to Tenten and began to talk in rapid English. Tenten found it hard to follow everything.

"Hello, Miss. Futeki, welcome to L.A. I hope you enjoy your stay with us here at Haruno Manor. That's what we call our small piece of heaven. (_Small? Ha! Tenten thought)_ Anyway, we have four chiefs, two personal maids and, well, anyone else you could possibly think you would need. Feel free to ask for help whenever you need it. Don't be shy.

"Our driver is the only person, other than Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, who speaks Japanese so it might be better to talk to him. He spends most of his time in the garden. This is Greg, Miss. Haruno's butler but he will be serving you during your stay." The blonde lady stopped her rant and motioned towards a wooden door. "This is your room," she said as she opened the door.

Tenten was shocked at what met her eyes. There was a large circular bed placed in the middle of the room. Hanging over it was a green canopy and the sheets on it were the same green. There was a desk at one end of the room with a flat screen computer placed on it. There were two doors on one wall. Tenten presumed one lead to a bathroom the other lead to a closet.

She move towards the nearest door and opened it. There was a huge walk-in closet. Tenten pulled her suitcase in and began unpacking.

--

A/N - The next chapter will be all about Sakura's first few hours in Tokyo! Once again... Review!


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to Tokyo

**--Switching Schools--**

A/N – Helloooooo! Last chapter was Tenten-centric so now it's Sakura's turn ;p I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Nope…. Not mine :'(

**--Chapter 3--**

**--Welcome to Tokyo--**

Sakura was very frustrated. She had thought the plane ride would be enjoyable. She got the window seat and felt that she had a lot to talk about with Sasuke. He, however, felt different. The minute they had reached cruising altitude he pulled out a booklet covered in Japanese characters and began writing things down in surprisingly neat handwriting.

Whenever Sakura would say something to try and start a conversation, she would receive a "Hn." She had brought along a book but it was a long flight and she was a fast reader and had finished it about an hour into the flight. She was currently sitting and watching Sasuke do his work. She couldn't wait until she got off the plane.

Sasuke had realized that Sakura was watching him over his shoulder but was too wrapped up in his unfinished homework to do anything about it. Had he not been so worried about completing it he would have turned and, rudely, asked her to stop.

The plane arrived at the airport twenty minutes early so Sakura thought she would be waiting for a while. _Oh joy! Waiting for the plane, waiting after the plane for whoever is supposed to pick me up! This day can't get any worse!_

Being near the front of the plane, Sakura and Sasuke got off first. Sakura had planned on following Sasuke out of the arrival area but he moved quickly. She soon found herself lost. She looked for signs but they were all written in Japanese and Sakura couldn't find any in English or Spanish.

_Great! I only know how to __speak a little __Japanese. I can't read it at all! Why did I agree to this?_ Sakura looked around for an info desk or someone who cold help her find a way out.

She stood their, looking like a total tourist, for about ten minutes before someone came up to her. "Excuse me, miss, but you look lost. Could I help you in anyway?" the lady asked sweetly, her Japanese skills were exquisite. She obviously lived here.

Sakura just nodded her head, not entirely sure how to say all that she wanted to in Japanese. The kind lady took her hand and led her through the crowds of people. After about five minutes of weaving, they finally exited the arrivals area.

"Arigato gozaimasu," Sakura said as she and the lady parted ways. Sakura turned around and was immediately met by a blur of yellow.

"Welcome to Tokyo! I'm so glad you were able to get here safely. I'm Yamanaka Ino, you must be Haruno Sakura!" a very excited blonde girl exclaimed.

_Yamanaka? That's a weird first name… and I'm __Sakura Haruno __not __Haruno Sakura! _"Umm… Yeah, I'm Sakura Haruno ..." Sakura couldn't say anymore because she was cut off by the blonde.

"That sounds wired in Japanese! Sakura Haruno … uggg! Just call me Ino!"

_Oh! Right Japanese name pronunciation is different than American! Gotta get used to that! _

Sakura, with the help of a very excited Ino, got her bags off the carrousel. She was headed for the door when she heard a laugh. She turned to see Ino chuckling. "Why are you so egger to leave? The rest of our 'Welcome Committee' is at the tea shop down this way."

Ino began walking away from the door down a fairly busy passage. Sakura was running, awkwardly pulling her suitcases behind her. She had a hard time fallowing Ino's movements throughout the crowded passage.

Finally Sakura saw Ino stop in front of a small tea house. She followed the blonde into the store and was slightly shocked at what she saw.

--

Sasuke had gotten off the plan and expertly made his way through the crowds of people to the baggage carrousels. _I'm so glad to be home. Now, where is my ride? I called my driver when I left L.A.X._

"Sasuke? I didn't know you where coming home today. You said that you'd be back after the winter break. It's great to see you!" a familiar voice called from his right. He slowly turned around to see a blonde girl waving at him.

_Ino? What's she doing here… wait … that exchange thing. Shit! I gotta get away from her… what to do? _Sasuke began inching towards the door, praying his driver would show up and he'd have an excuse to just leave. He had no such luck. Just as he was about to leave the airport, Ino ran over, latched her arm around his and dragged him towards the other two teens standing by the arrival area.

"Shikamaru, Choji, you take Sasuke to the tea shop. I'll stay here and wait for the exchange student." Ino ordered.

As Shikamaru pulled Sasuke along, the later turned to the former. "There's no way you could just let me go?" he asked.

Shikamaru turned to Sasuke. "It's too troublesome to deal with an angry Ino so, no."

Sasuke sighed. This was going to be a long day.

--

The three males walked into the tea shop and found a seat in the back. They sat down and stared at each other, wondering what to do next. After about five minutes Choji got up. The two other males stared at him strangely. "What? I'm hungry and I don't want to wait for Ino and, whoever the exchange student is. Can I get you two anything?" Choji asked. Shikamaru and Sasuke shook their heads.

Choji went up to the counter. He ordered a large bubble tea and a plate of dango. He returned to his seat just as Ino walked into the tea shop. She was followed in by a girl with pink hair. The pink haired girl just stared, a shocked expression present on her face, at Sasuke.

_Great! That Sakura girl from the plane is the exchange student..._

_--_

A/N - Chapter 3 up! I'll update soon! Review Please!


	4. Chapter 4: The First Day

**--Switching Schools--**

A/N – Chapter 4! It's got both of 'em in it! Woohoo!

Disclaimer: Nopers!

**--Chapter 4--**

**--The First Day--**

She had been in LA for over a week and she was just getting over her jet lag. In the past seven days all Tenten had done was eat, sleep and walk through the large gardens. Her first day at the American school, Malibu Central Private School, was tomorrow. She was a little worried about understanding what the teachers were saying and fitting in.

That night she laid out her uniform and her school books. She made sure she would have everything she needed and that she wouldn't forget anything. She then went to bed early, ready to be up very early.

--

Half way across the world, as Tenten was falling asleep, Sakura was waking up. She hadn't wanted to get up this early but Tenten's mother had set her alarm clock and Sakura had no idea how to turn it off. She slowly lifted her head, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. As she lay on the bed, a knock sounded on the other side of the door. After about thirty seconds, Tenten's mother appeared.

"I know it's early but the school starts in an hour and a half and if I know girls, you'll need at least ¾ of that to get ready. I'll leave you alone to prepare," she said. Sakura was amazed how Tenten's mom made speaking Japanese seem so easy.

She rolled out of bed and moved towards the closet. Compared to her closet at home, this one was miniscule. There was enough room for about five outfits. She reached her thin arm into it and pulled out the Konoha High School uniform. It was simple really. A dark green, pleated mid-thigh length skirt, a white blouse and a dark green vest. They were required to wear dark green, knee high socks and black Mary Jane's.

_MCPS's uniform is way more…designer. This is so gonna suck! I only know that really hyper Ino and her friends, I so need to meet more people. I'm also going to hafta work on my Japanese if I'm ever gonna be able to survive this school. _Sakura walked down the hall to a small bathroom. There was a shower, a toilet and a sink and barely enough room to move around. She took off her silk pyjamas and got into the shower.

After ten minutes in the shower she got out and began with her morning routine. It consisted of getting dressed, doing her make up and putting on her newest perfume. After she was finished in the bathroom, she walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. As she entered it, she saw Tenten's mom making breakfast.

Sakura entered the kitchen and sat down at the small table. Tenten's mother put a plate of Omuraisu, rice rapped in an omelette, in front of her. Sakura smiled, her mother loved Japanese food and she often had the chefs make this dish for breakfast.

Sakura grabbed a pair of chopsticks and began eating. She was done ten minutes later. Standing up, the pink haired girl grabbed her bag and ran out of the door. She walked down the street and was about twenty minutes from school when she heard her name being called. She turned around and saw Ino running towards her. She was dragging Shikamaru and Choji behind her, both of whom didn't look to happy about it.

_Great! Here comes Ino. She just so … perky! I guess I'm __**kinda **__like that with my friends, but not soooo perky! Oh well, at least I know someone. _

_--_

It was six o'clock and the alarm was blaring. Tenten rolled over, hit it and then continued to roll until she was out of bed. She got up, grabbed the uniform she had laid out the pervious night and rushed towards the large bathroom. She started the shower and, when it was warm enough, she got in.

She took a nice long shower, letting the warm water rush over her. She took a full twenty minutes before exiting the shower. The uniform for MCPS was almost a polar opposite of KHS's. She put it on and then twirled in the large mirror. There was a red, mid-thigh length skirt, a white, silk dress shirt and a black blazer with red trim. On her feet where black nylon tights and red ballet flats.

Tenten brushed her teeth and tied her hair up in her typical two buns. She then returned to the bedroom, grabbed her postman's bag and headed through the maze of halls to the kitchen. The chef, who apparently was used to cooking Japanese food, prepared all of Tenten's favourites, never having to ask for her to explain what it was.

She sat at the huge table alone, like she had so many times. Once she was done, the same limo driver who had picked her up from the airport came to take her to school. She climbed into the overly large car and it headed off in what she presumed was the direction of the school.

--

After spending the ten minute walk talking to Ino about what the school was like, Sakura found it less frightening. She also began to warm up to Ino more. She knew a lot of the trendy spots in Tokyo as well as a lot of American and Japanese pop culture.

They walked into the courtyard in front of the school. They walked across it and then into the school. Ino was Sakura's guide for the exchange program. The two girls walked into class and took a seat in about the middle of the class. They waited for a while and the class began to fill up. Most people Sakura didn't recognize.

There were a few she did though. Shikamaru and Choji, who decided to take a different route, walked in about five minutes after the girls. Then, one of the last people into the class was Uchiha Sasuke. _He's everywhere! He's next to me on the plane, sitting quietly in the corner of the table at the tea shop and now in class. At least he's hot!_

_**Cha! **_

**_--_**

Tenten had an ok day at school. There were parts she didn't understand and things that were really easy. She had a lot of homework by the end of the day. The final bell rang and everyone got up to go home. Tenten took her time, seeing as she didn't feel like being rushed through the halls with the thousands of other students.

She left the school about fifteen minutes after the bell. She was standing in the courtyard searching for her ride. As she was standing there a girl with red hair and a girl with blonde hair walked up to her.

"You're the girl who switched with Saki right?" the redhead questioned.

"Who?" Tenten asked, having absolutely no idea who 'Saki' was.

"Gosh, Shell, when askin' 'bout people you gotta use their real names. She means Sakura," the blonde added. Tenten nodded. Then, in the best English she could muster, replied with a short answer.

"My ride's here. I should go." The other two nodded and let her leave. As she was walking to the car, she knocked into someone. "I'm sorry, I wasn't really paying attention. I do that all the time. I really should look up more," she began rambling in Japanese, not even realising that whomever she was talking to probably couldn't understand her.

"You know, in America, we speak English," an emotionless voice said. Tenten looked up and stared into the cold, pupil-less eyes of Hyuuga Neji. He reached down and helped her back up to her feet. She then bowed her head respectively and climbed into the limo.

--

Haruno Sakura stared at the small book in her hand. _Great! A novel study! I hate these! _She put it into the bag and the turned around. Standing right there was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

"Holy cow! You scared the shit outta me. Don't do that!" Sakura said, her hand over her heart trying to calm down its beating. Sasuke just stood there looking as passive as always. He then stepped to the side of her and continued walking down the hall.

_It's amazing how he ignores those screaming fan girls and the death glares from the guys in this school. _Sakura then saw Ino walking briskly towards her. Together they walked down the busy streets and into Ino's house. It was slightly larger than Tenten's apartment and above the flower shop.

Ino walked in the front door and kissed her mother, who was standing behind the counter. They then walked up the stairs into the living quarters. Ino's room was directly to the right. Thy got into the room, unloaded their bags and began helping each other do their homework.

--

A/N – There's chapter 4. It's a little later than I had wanted. School really picked up 'cause term was ending. Oh well. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5: Becoming Friends

**--Switching Schools--**

A/N – Sorry this took so long to update! Schools been really busy and my friend convinced me into trying out for my school play and that took up a lot of time. Well, it's spring break now, so hopefully I'll get another chapter up before next Monday but I'm not sure.

This chapter furthers Tenten and Neji's, as well as Sakura and Sasuke's relationship. Now… onto the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**--Chapter 5--**

**--Becoming Friends--**

It had been a week since the exchange program had begun and Tenten had a fairly good handle on the daily routine. She still had issues with her English but it had improved greatly. She had to take an extra class in English and a girl named Hinata tutored her in it after school. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.

She and Hinata had been spending so much time together that they were quite close now. Most of the time they studied at the Haruno mansion but one day the routine had to be changed. That one little change affected the rest of her stay in California.

--

Tenten and Hinata walked out of school into the large front yard. As they neared the parking lot, Tenten's phone began to ring. It was a present from the Haruno's so they could easily keep in touch with her. She answered it.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Tenten dear, Mr. Haruno and I have an appointment with some big Hollywood folks. Hinata and you are going over to the Hyuuga household. I've already cleared it with them and they sent a car to pick you up," Mrs. Haruno's voice drifted through the phone.

"Hai," Tenten said and then hung up the phone. She turned to see Hinata with her phone at her ear as well. They looked over at each other and nodded in understanding. They headed off to the parking lot with Hinata slightly in front of Tenten.

They climbed into the awaiting limo and Tenten was met with the eyes of Hyuuga Neji. She nodded in greeting and then turned to Hinata to talk about classes that day. Hinata could speak Japanese but to help Tenten improve her English, she had said they could only talk in English.

They pulled into a house that was a little bit larger than the Haruno's.

Neji hadn't said a word the whole trip and, the moment the limo had stopped, he quickly jumped out and headed into the house. Hinata and Tenten followed behind at a more leisurely pace. They walked in through the front door and Hinata showed Tenten up to her room. By now, Tenten was used to walking into houses with large rooms that were about the size of her apartment.

They walked over to the large bed and took their bags off their backs. Hinata and Tenten pulled out the homework they had been assigned and started working away on it.

--

Tenten was laying on Hinata's bed, her head hanging over the edge. Hinata was drilling her in preparation for their upcoming English test. Tenten sighed. "Can we take a break? I'm starving," she asked, turning around to lie on her stomach instead if her back.

Hinata nodded and the two girls walked down the maze of hallways to the kitchen. "So, what do you have to eat? You wouldn't happen to have any traditional Japanese food would you?" Tenten asked hopefully.

"Of course we do," she said quietly. Tenten was practically jumping up and down with excitement. The Haruno's had provided her with Japanese food but she felt that the Hyuuga's might taste more homemade.

The older girl turned to the petite girl beside her; a mischievous smile graced her features. "I'll race you!" with that statement, the brunette took off down the hallway. At first Hinata was worried her father might be mad at her.

'**Let loose a little! You're too uptight!'** a voice in her head said. Finally the Hyuuga heiress, against her better judgement, took off down the hall behind the brunette. She rounded the corner into the kitchen but stopped outside the door.

She could hear a slightly elevated conversation coming from inside the polished white doors. "You should watch where you are going."

"You shouldn't carry eggs across the kitchen when the stove is the other way!" Hinata opened the door a crack and peered inside. The sight that met her eyes was one that almost made the calm Hyuuga burst out in laughter.

--

Neji was sitting in his room, slaving away at a four page essay he had due when a rumbling broke his concentration. He looked around, ready to assault the potential focus breaker. When he found no one he went back to his work.

Not two minutes later the rumbling came again. He realised then that it was nothing more than his stomach. He looked across his large room and had to strain to see the small clock on the other side. 'I need to get another clock,' he thought.

'4:48… Hiashi-sama won't be home until around 7. I guess I could get a snack now.' With that final thought he got up and walked down the hall. He was passing Hinata's room when a voice caused him to stop.

"Gah! I don't get it! How can English be this hard?" the voice said. It was in Japanese and the pronunciation was perfect. Neji knew it couldn't be Hinata. She had issues with certain words in Japanese and this person didn't stumble over one.

'That must be the new exchange student.' He thought no more on the subject and continued down the hall.

--

The Hyuuga kitchen was state of the art. All appliances were stainless steel and there were about four of each. It looked like the kitchen one would find in a professional restaurant in Paris, France. Neji quickly picked a stove and got out a frying pan.

He looked around to see if the maids had gone shopping that day. As he scanned the kitchen he found it surprisingly empty. 'The chiefs must not come until six.' He then walked over to the fridge and pulled out all the ingredients he needed.

As he was checking his inventory he realised he was missing eggs. He checked in the fridges near him but found none. With an inaudible sigh, he looked through the other fridges. Finally he found the illusive eggs. 'They just had to be in the farthest fridge from where I was cooking.

As he walked past the west entrance into the kitchen, the doors burst open. He wasn't expecting the sudden entrance and didn't have time to get out of the way. The next thing he knew, he was on his butt, eggs splattered all over him and something on his chest.

He looked up and saw a very pink faced girl jump off him and dust herself off slightly before offering him a hand.

"I'm sorry," she said, her English slightly awkward. She too had egg all over her face as well as her school uniform. She offered Neji an apologetic smile. He just stared.

"You should watch where you are going," he said, no emotions were evident anywhere, not even in his face.

"You shouldn't carry eggs across the kitchen when the stove is the other way!" she retorted as she headed towards the sink. As she walked across the broken eggshells, she slipped on a stray piece of egg yolk. Tenten prepared herself for the impact that was sure to come.

When she didn't feel it, she looked around. "You are the biggest klutz I have ever had the displeasure of acquainting myself with." She just stared at him before sighing.

"I'm an exchange student. My English sucks. What did you just say?" she asked. Her eyebrows were furrowed in frustration at not being able to understand even the simplest things. Neji looked down at her and then found himself looking away.

"You are the biggest klutz I have ever had the displeasure of acquainting myself with," he repeated in Japanese. A look of understanding crossed her face. It was then she realised her was still supporting her. She quickly stood up again and looked around.

"You know, if you ever want to improve your English, you're going to have to start speaking it more often. Your Japanese is impeccable for obvious reasons. However, that isn't going to help you." Hinata decided to make her entrance just then and was stunned by Neji's vocal ness.

"Umm… Neji, Tenten and I were just looking for a snack. We'll leave you alone to finish whatever it was you were doing," Hinata muttered quietly. Neji nodded and Tenten skipped over to the other side of the room.

"Your cousin doesn't talk much does he?" Tenten asked once they were a fair distance from him. Hinata nodded her head but turned to the older girl.

"Why do you ask?"

"When he was talking to me in Japanese, I could tell. Comparing it to yours, it is lacking some. People who are used to talking, even quietly like you, often pick up another language faster and their pronunciation is better. At least, that's what I've found."

A silence lapsed over the kitchen after that as each teenager prepared their snack in quiet. Finally Tenten broke the silence. She had been digging through the cabinets and realised she was missing a crucial spice for her Ramen. She sighed and slowly inched over to where Neji was cooking.

"Excuse me, Neji-san," she said in English, "I was wondering if I could borrow…" before she was able to finish her request, his hand shot up, the ingredient Tenten needed clutched in it. "Thank you, Neji-san," she said.

As she walked back to the other stove, the door opened and she had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. She then tripped over her feet, not being able to move as smoothly as she had planned. She once again felt herself falling through the air and was, once again, surprised when she didn't make contact with the hard floor.

"You really need to be more careful, Tenten."

She just smiled. That was the second time he had caught her. 'Maybe he is the same person I met at the beginning of my flight here.' She thought to herself.

--

"I have the most amazing plan to help you meet people here, Saki-chan!" Ino squealed. Sakura had taken to eating lunch with the loud blonde and her two quieter guy friends, Akimichi Choji and Nara Shikamaru. Personally, she enjoyed the loud blonde's company but sometimes it was just a little too much.

"What is it this time, Ino-san?" Shikamaru asked, not opening his closed eyes.

"I'm going to throw her a party this weekend! It's a genius plan! My parents are going to some weird flower shop convention thing and they trust me enough to have a party." At the word 'party' Sakura's ears perked up.

"Did you say party?" she asked, making sure she had heard Ino correct. After all, the blonde's Japanese was quick and often slurred.

"Yes! It's going to be so cool!" with that final note, the girls broke into high squeals and immediately began to plan out the entire evening.

--

Friday night came quicker than Sakura had expected. Ino had invited the pink-haired girl over after school to help her get ready. It was now 5:50 and the party was starting soon.

Sakura sat on the family couch and looked around the room. Ino had thought of everything. There was a large stack of CDs near the CD player, a whole table lined with food. Ino had moved all pieces of furniture away and created a large dance floor. She had also removed all breakables and anything that could be used as a projectile.

Finally the door bell rang and Ino jumped up and opened it. She immediately began talking to whoever was at the door. "Yeah! Oh but the real reason for this party is…," Ino appeared in the living room with about four people behind her, "to get Sakura-chan here to meet more people!"

Everyone behind Ino walked up to Sakura and began introducing themselves. _This is going to be a loud party. _Sakura thought, considering the already high volume of only five girls.

--

The party had been going on for two hours and Sakura's guess about the party's volume had been correct. Sakura had hosted many parties in LA but none as loud as this. She kind of hated loud actually. It was the reason she tended to stay away from concerts.

Sakura had left the loud dance floor in search of a bathroom. She was wandering the halls opening the doors and still had no luck.

When she opened the fourth closet door, she let out an exasperated sigh. _How many closets do these people need? _She asked herself. She was about to close the door when she tripped on one of the stray towels and fell into the closet, the door closing behind her.

She searched around in the dark for a good minute before she heard someone stop outside the door. "Help!" she called.

The door opened and standing there was none other than Uchiha Sasuke. "You seem to be everywhere, you know that!" Sakura said as her eyes readjusted to the light.

"Hn." Sakura sighed at his response. She was standing up when she, once again, tripped on the towel. This time she landed on Sasuke.

Quickly realising her predicament she stood up and turned away to hide her blush.

--

Sasuke felt weird. It wasn't the usual feeling he got around fan girls. Something about this American was different. He sighed. She had been talking, asking him something and he hadn't been paying attention.

"Hn," he replied.

"You know, more people would like you if you, I don't know, talked in multiple syllables!" she shrieked, exasperated at his antics. She then turned on her heel and headed off in the opposite direction of the party.

"The party's the other way," he replied.

"WOW! You _can_ talk. If you were listening to me earlier, which you obviously weren't, you would have heard that I was looking for the bathroom!"

"Turn right, here."

"Thanks."

"Hn."

--

The party began winding down at around 11. Sakura had met a lot of people, but she had spent most of the time sitting on the couch talking to Sasuke. After their encounter in the hall, the stoic boy seemed to become slightly more vocal.

As the last guest left the Yamanaka's house, Ino fell back on the couch. "So, did you have fun? I couldn't help but notice that you and Sasuke seemed to be getting close. Care to spill?" the blonde asked.

"I guess, after all, we've got all night to talk about it!" Sakura chuckled.

"You're getting more and more like me Saki-chan."

--

A/N – Yeah! I felt really bad about not updating so I wrote an extra long chapter… I hope it didn't get to boring. Please review :P

kitty


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